The largest Passive House in the nation will be completed within a year in Hillsboro, Oregon, the Oregonian reports.
The Passive House structure will be the first of three phases for the Orchards at Orenco project, which aims to construct mixed-availability buildings and provide 150 units of affordable housing.
The Passivhaus ("Passive House" in the U.S.), a concept founded in the 1990s by German physicist Wolfgang Feist, is a strict building standard that decreases energy used for heating and cooling by up to 90%. While the standard spread quickly in Europe (by 2010, the continent had 25,000 Passivhaus-rated structures), the U.S. has been slow to adopt the standard. Only about 100 Passive House projects exist across the country.
Here are more details on the Orchards at Orenco project, courtesy Walsh Construction:
REACH Community Development continues its affordable home-building program with the launch of its Orchards at Orenco project this month at Hillsboro’s Orenco Station.
REACH, a nonprofit with nearly 1,900 units of affordable housing, is beginning construction of the 57-unit first phase of Orchards at Orenco, a three-building complex that will eventually provide about 150 units affordable housing. Phase 1 will serve families earning 50 percent or less of the area median family income, or about $30,000.
The project is designed by William Wilson Architects and Ankrom Moisan Architects; and Green Hammer is the Passive House Consultant.
The $14.5 million project is financed with $9 million in tax credits purchased by Wells Fargo Bank, a $2.4 million permanent loan with Oregon state credits and contributions from the Washington County, Meyer Memorial Trust, Energy Trust of Oregon and NeighborWorks America.
Key Passive House features include:
- The roof will have 12 inches of insulation, about four times what is required. The light color will reflect solar radiation and help moderate the building temperature.
- PVC-fiberglass hybrid windows will have argon-filled triple pane glazing and are designed to close tighter than more common models.
- The building is positioned to keep the building comfortable in summer months with shading devices that allow winter sun but block it in the summer.
- The building’s super-insulated envelope includes four inches of foam insulation under the ground floor slab.
Related Stories
Sponsored | | Nov 19, 2014
Long-life coatings vs. long-life screws
Are you concerned with the long-life protection of your metal building project? SPONSORED CONTENT
Sponsored | | Nov 19, 2014
Fire resistive, blast-resistant glazing: Where security, safety, and transparency converge
Security, safety and transparency don’t have to be mutually exclusive thanks to new glazing technology designed to support blast and fire-resistant secure buildings. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Nov 19, 2014
Must see: Arup, Damian Rogers propose urban surf park in Melbourne
The surfing pool would offer 98-foot-wide waves that would run the length of the 500-foot-long enclave.
| Nov 18, 2014
Architecture Billings Index dips in October, still shows positive outlook design services
Headed by the continued strength in the multifamily residential market and the emerging growth for institutional projects, demand for design services continues to be healthy, as exhibited in the latest Architecture Billings Index.
| Nov 18, 2014
New tool helps developers, contractors identify geographic risk for construction
The new interactive tool from Aon Risk Solutions provides real-time updates pertaining to the risk climate of municipalities across the U.S.
| Nov 18, 2014
5 big trends changing the world of academic medicine
Things are changing in healthcare. Within academic medicine alone, there is a global shortage of healthcare professionals, a changing policy landscape within the U..S., and new view and techniques in both pedagogy and practice, writes Perkins+Will’s Pat Bosch.
| Nov 18, 2014
Grimshaw releases newest designs for world’s largest airport
The airport is expected to serve 90 million passengers a year on the opening of the first phase, and more than 150 million annually after project completion in 2018.
| Nov 17, 2014
Nearly two years after Sandy Hook, the bloodshed continues
It’s been almost two years since 20 first-graders were shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., but these incidents, both planned and random, keep occurring, writes BD+C's Robert Cassidy.
| Nov 17, 2014
Hospitality at the workplace: 5 ways hotels are transforming the office
During the past five years, the worlds of hospitality and corporate real estate have undergone an incredible transformation. The traditional approach toward real estate asset management has shifted to a focus on offerings that accommodate mobility, changing demographics, and technology, writes HOK's Eva Garza.